Book – Be water, my friend

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

– Bruce Lee

The book ‘Be water, my friend – the true teachings of Bruce Lee’ is written by Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee. In this book she writes about the life philosophies of her father and how we can apply his teachings to our daily lives. On the back side of the book is written:

Bruce Lee is a cultural icon, world renowned for his martial arts and film legacy. But Lee was also a deeply philosophical thinker, believing that martial arts are more than just an exercise in physical discipline – they are a perfect metaphor for personal growth.

In Be Water, My Friend Shannon Lee shares previously untold stories from her father’s life along with the concepts at the core of his teachings. Each chapter reveals a lesson from Bruce Lee, expanding on the foundation of his iconic be water philosophy to reveal a path to an enlightened way of being.

I haven’t seen a single movie with Bruce Lee till now and I only knew his name because of his martial arts. I didn’t have a clue about his personal life and his philosophy. As I always like to read and learn about philosophy, I decided to read this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. As I am aware of Asian martial arts always have some kind of philosophy behind it and a spiritual meaning, which is matching my own view of life. It was nice to learn more about the personal life of Bruce Lee and get to know more about his mindset and teachings. It was also sad to read about his short life and to get to know the struggles of his daughter and wife. The book and the teachings are easy to understand. Shannon has written it in a way that everyone can understand. The personal details make it even more interesting. It is always good to read a book about an inspiring person and this is definitely inspiring.  

If you also have read this book or are planning to read it, please share your thoughts about it with me. Enjoy reading!